The Dark Corner
Moonshine and the Lawlessness of the Dark Corner
Wesley Burnett
History 500: Senior Seminar
October 24, 2013
The Dark Corner which located in the Glassy Mountain Township, in the Northeastern part of Greenville County South Carolina, in a region known as Appalachia. The area covers about one hundred and fifty square miles.1 In Appalachia and all across the south moonshine played a large role in the economic part of a community. Distilling moonshine was a religion of sorts and the citizens of the Dark Corner held it close to their hearts as they did with their religion, which was primarily Presbyterian. The people of the Dark Corner relied on the production of moonshine to bring an income to their households because the surrounding land was only suitable for growing corn (corn is the main ingredient in moonshine). The Dark Corner sounds like something out of a horror film or a place the average person would never want to visit. Especially during the Revenue Wars against moonshiners anyone who entered the Dark Corner was risking their lives, especially if one was suspected of being in an informant. Before anyone can understand the area one needs to know a little background information about the settlers of this area, their way of life, their lawlessness, and how they functioned in a society based on moonshine. The elusive place called the Dark Corner was always, as said by locals, was just a little further up the road, because of the lawless and violent acts that took place in the Dark Corner.2 The Dark Corner was always a lawless place, but upon the start of the Revenue Wars against moonshiners The Dark Corner became an even darker place.
The infamous Dark Corner was not always known by its famous nickname. There are many renditions of how the Northeast corner of Greenville County became known as the Dark Corner and here is the most popular one. Benjamin F. Perry a former Unionist
Wesley Burnett
History 500: Senior Seminar
October 24, 2013
The Dark Corner which located in the Glassy Mountain Township, in the Northeastern part of Greenville County South Carolina, in a region known as Appalachia. The area covers about one hundred and fifty square miles.1 In Appalachia and all across the south moonshine played a large role in the economic part of a community. Distilling moonshine was a religion of sorts and the citizens of the Dark Corner held it close to their hearts as they did with their religion, which was primarily Presbyterian. The people of the Dark Corner relied on the production of moonshine to bring an income to their households because the surrounding land was only suitable for growing corn (corn is the main ingredient in moonshine). The Dark Corner sounds like something out of a horror film or a place the average person would never want to visit. Especially during the Revenue Wars against moonshiners anyone who entered the Dark Corner was risking their lives, especially if one was suspected of being in an informant. Before anyone can understand the area one needs to know a little background information about the settlers of this area, their way of life, their lawlessness, and how they functioned in a society based on moonshine. The elusive place called the Dark Corner was always, as said by locals, was just a little further up the road, because of the lawless and violent acts that took place in the Dark Corner.2 The Dark Corner was always a lawless place, but upon the start of the Revenue Wars against moonshiners The Dark Corner became an even darker place.
The infamous Dark Corner was not always known by its famous nickname. There are many renditions of how the Northeast corner of Greenville County became known as the Dark Corner and here is the most popular one. Benjamin F. Perry a former Unionist
Bibliography: Campbell, Dean. Interview by James Wesley Burnett. Dark Corner Interview. Inman, SC September 24, 2013. Batson, Mann. A History of the Upper Part of Greenville County South Carolina. Taylors, SC: Faith Print Company, 1993. Blackwell , Joshua Beau . Used To Be A Rough Place In Them Hills: Moonshine, The Dark Corner, And The New South. Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2009. Campbell, Dean Stuart. Eyes To The Hills A Photographic Odyssey of the "Dark Corner" of South Carolina. United States of America: Tamaczar Productions, 1994. Campbell, Dean. "Rev. Bowers preached with fervor, frugality." Tryon Daily Bulletin, April 14, 2010. Campbell, Dean. "Shootout at Mountain Hill Church."Tryon Daily Bulletin, June 8, 2011. Helsley, Alexia Jones. Hidden History of Greenville County. Charleston, SC: The History Press , 2009. Kellner, Esther. Moonshine: Its History and Folklore. Indianapolis, Indiana : Bobbs-Merrill, 1971. McCuen, Anne K. Including a Pile of Rocks. Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 2005. Miller, Wilbur R. Revenuers and Moonshiners: Enforcing Federal Liquor Law in the Mountain South, 1865-1900. United States of America: The University of North Carolina Press, 1991. Wilbanks, William. Forgotten Heroes. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company , 1997. REDHYPE, . Dark Corner Distillery, "Heritage." Accessed October 25, 2013. http://www.darkcornerdistillery.com/heritage/. "After Moonshine Revenue Officers Had Very Busy Week Several Captures They Went Through The Dark Corner Destroying Stills, Spilling Liquor And Making Arrests. Nobody Killed.." Greenville Daily News, June 5, 1901. "An Outrage By A Government Official."Enterprise & Mountaineer, May 29, 1878. "Big Still Cut Up By Officers." Greenville Daily News, JuLY 8, 1906. "Caught With The Goods." Greenville Daily News, December 23, 1906. "Declare Open War On Moonshiners."Greenville News, May 27, 1906. "Distillers Captured." Enterprise & Mountaineer, March 7, 1877. "Dynamite Cartridges Used To Destroy Still." Enterprise & Mountaineer, May 21, 1890. "Fight With Moonshiners In The Mountains Of Greenville." Enterprise & Mountaineer, January 30, 1889. "Flogged, Not Killed Fruit Tree Agent Given Cow Hiding In Dark Corner And Made To Move On Some." Greenville Daily News, July 3, 1906. "Good Citizens Of Much-Maligned Section Meet Soon To Organize." Greenville Daily News, June 21, 1906. "In The Mountains Of Greenville." Enterprise & Mountaineer, May 21, 1890. "Murder Of A Child." Enterprise & Mountaineer, February 21, 1877. "Officers Smash Illicit Stills." Greenville Daily News, December 22, 1908. "Powers Of U.S. Revenue Officers And Rights of Citizens." Enterprise & Mountaineer, April 17, 1878.